On October 8, seven Sahrawi human rights defenders were arrested by Moroccan police at the Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and remain in an undisclosed location, according to the Association Sahraouie des Victimes des Violations Graves des Droits Humains (ASVDH). The human rights defenders were returning from a trip to Algeria where they visited Sahrawi refugee camps in the southwest of the country. The group was arrested immediately after their plane landed at the airport in Casablanca.

This arrest was overseen by several security agencies, led by the military intelligence service, called: DGED, according to the sources of the ASVDH.

Tthe seven Human Rights activists held are:- Mr Brahim Dahane: President of the Saharawi Association of victims of grave human rights violations committed by the Moroccan State ASVDH.- Ms. Degja Lachgar: Member of the Executive Office of the same association and member of the Committee for defense self-determination for Western Sahara CODAPSO.- Mr Hammadi Nassiri: Member of Coordination Council of the same association, the secretary general of the Saharawi Committee to Defende Human Rights in Smara - Western Sahara, president of the Moroccan Association of human rights in Smara AMDH- Mr. Ali Salem Tamek: Vice-President of the Sahrawi Human Rights collective- Mr Rashid Sghaier: Member of the Committee against Torture in Dakhla - Western Sahara- Mr ETAROUZI Yahdih: human right Activist member of the AMDH- Mr Saleh Baihy: Membre of CODESA

The Association Sahraouie des Victimes des Violations des droits Humains (ASVDH) has declared that the Moroccan authorities have used all the usual means of propaganda to criminalize those Sahrawi human rights activists in one hand by high treason, and other by collaboration with foreigners or touching the foreign interests of state.

In this same context, five other Sahrawi human rights activists were also stripped of all their documents and mobile phones at the point of control with Mauritania and were detained for ten hours with interrogation and ill treatment although they had all necessary legal documents for this trip.

These activists are:- Mr Sidi Mohamed Deddach: Chairman of the Committee to defend the right of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara CODAPSO, winner of the Norwegian Rafto award in 2002. And winner of Human Rights award of Badajoz in Spain in 2009.- Mr Ahmed Sbai: Member of the Coordination Council of the Sahrawi Association and Secretary General of the Sahrawi league to protect the Prisoners.- Mr Larbi Messaoud member of the CODESA- Mr Ibrahim-Ismaili member of the CODESA- Atiku Baray: Member of the Committee against Torture in Dakhla -Western Sahara.

The ASVDH, has recorded the persistent daily violations of human rights against the Sahrawi citizens: torture, threats and arrests, assaults , raids of houses, violation to the right to public freedom, freedom of expression , assembly and peaceful demonstration , the right to physical integrity , the right to security, stability and movement. It is concerned about the escalating of offenses rate which predicts worsening of the situation and push to the instability and the continuing the Saharawis suffering.

The ASVDH calls the United Nations to respond to:· The release of these human rights activists and investigate what may have been torture or ill-treatment in police stations.· The release of the Sahrawi political prisoners, dozens of whom are currently in Moroccan prisons and some of whom have started an open hunger strike for 12 days in a dark prison as a protest against the deteriorating conditions witch they face.

Finally the ASVDH, which underlines the continually worsening situation in the territory, calls on all international human rights organizations working to put an end to the suffering of the Saharawi people, which has been dragging on for more than three decades."